Joshua Dobbs has shocked plenty around the NFL world with his impressive 2023 campaign, yet he is still unable to show his full potential with the Minnesota Vikings.
The reason? Justin Jefferson still has not been activated from the injured reserve as he continues to rehabilitate his injury. Jefferson is making progress but has said he doesn't want to play until he's 100 percent healthy.
Josh Dobbs continues to defy odds as NFL starting quarterback
Dobbs was formerly part of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans, but didn't get much of a chance to show his potential. Then, in 2023, he started with the Arizona Cardinals as starting QB Kyler Murray started on the injured reserve.
The Cardinals didn't win much with Dobbs, but his performances still exceeded expectations. Then, with Murray set to return shortly after the NFL trade deadline, the Vikings acquired Dobbs in a trade.
Dobbs has taken over for the Vikings after Kirk Cousins suffered a season-ending injury by tearing his Achilles, but he has done well with several players out with injuries.
Since joining the Minnesota Vikings, he has played in two games and has led them to a record of 2-0, despite only holding a record of 1-0 because he didn't start the first game. In those two games, he has gone off for 426 passing yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions on 67.2 percent completions, while running for 110 yards and two touchdowns.
The Vikings have dealt with many injuries in 2023, with the main ones coming on the offensive side with Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson, and Cam Akers. But despite not having Jefferson or Akers, Dobbs has been able to get the team wins, and once Jefferson and others come back, the question is how far can they go.
Before getting injured, Jefferson played in a total of five games and had 571 receiving yards on 36 receptions and 53 targets for a catch rate of 67.9 percent and an average of 114.2 yards per game. In his first three games, he had around 150 yards per game and was primed to have his best career season before getting injured.
